Tag: Plural Wives

  • Fair Shake

    Fair Shake

    Excerpt from an April 17, 1860 New York Times article, ‘Polygamy and its Fruits’:1

    ‘Some time ago HEBER KIMBALL was lecturing some missionaries who were preparing to start out on foreign missions, in the Tabernacle, and said to them: “Brethren, I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother Missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us; hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.” The old reprobate then had at least a score of women whom he called wives.’

    References

    References
    1 April 17, 1860 New York Times article, ‘Polygamy and its Fruits’ – https://www.nytimes.com/1860/04/17/archives/from-utah-polygamy-and-its-fruitsthe-missionariesthe-pony.html
  • Knee High

    Knee High

    Excerpt from a discourse by Orson Hyde, recorded in the diary of  Luke W. Gallup, February 11, 1857: 1

    “I find a great spirit in men for getting more wives, & I have heard that in this place, there is not a girl knee high to a toad (using a strong figure) that is not engaged. I “do not know, that you have outstript the mark. If you have gone into this, with the sanction of your bishop, or the First Presidency, all is right; but if not, it is not right. It is true I have labored to show up the principle, and tell the people where they were binding; but I did not give anyone the right to act. I could not give that which I did not possess. I only tried to remove the obstacles. I hear that they have gone in couples, triples, quadruples, & even sextuples, to Salt Lake; & the President may think I am raising the very devil here. 

    References

    References
    1 Luke W. Gallup Reminiscences and diary, pages 193-95, MS 8402, Church History Library, Salt Lake City – https://catalog.churchofjesuschrist.org/assets?id=4e4d3060-dc87-464e-9861-cb7f20054bda&crate=0&index=193
  • Already Married

    Already Married

    Excerpt from the LDS Gospel Topic Essay, ‘Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo’: 1

    Following his marriage to Louisa Beaman and before he married other single women, Joseph Smith was sealed to a number of women who were already married. 29 Neither these women nor Joseph explained much about these sealings, though several women said they were for eternity alone. 30 Other women left no records, making it unknown whether their sealings were for time and eternity or were for eternity alone.

    Footnote 29:

    Estimates of the number of these sealings range from 12 to 14. (See Todd Compton, In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith [Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1997], 4, 6; Hales, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, 1:253–76, 303–48.) For an early summary of this practice, see John A. Widtsoe, “Evidences and Reconciliations: Did Joseph Smith Introduce Plural Marriage?” Improvement Era 49, no. 11 (Nov. 1946): 766–67.

    References

    References
    1 Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo – https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo?lang=eng#29
  • Corrupt Doctrines

    Corrupt Doctrines

    Notice issued by Joseph and Hyrum Smith in the Times and Season paper, February 1, 1844 (at the time Joseph had more than 30 plural wives): 1

    “NOTICE
    As we have lately been credibly informed, that an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ, of Latter-day Saints, by the name of Hiram Brown, has been preaching polygamy, and other false and corrupt doctrines, in the county of Lapeer, state of Michigan.

    This is to notify him and the Church in general, that he has been cut off from the church, for his iniquity: and he is further notified to appear at the Special Conference, on the 6th of April next, to make answer to these charges.

    JOSEPH SMITH
    HYRUM SMITH
    Presidents of said Church“

    …

    Footnote 24 – LDS Gospel Topic Essay, Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo: 2

    “Careful estimates put the number [of Joseph’s wives] between 30 and 40. See Hales, Joseph Smith’s Polygamy, 2:272–73.”

     

    References

    References
    1 Times and Seasons, Thursday, February 1 1844 – http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/8375
    2 LDS Gospel Topic Essay, Plural Marriage in Kirtland and Nauvoo – https://www.lds.org/topics/plural-marriage-in-kirtland-and-nauvoo?lang=eng
  • Filthy Affair

    Filthy Affair

    Frances Ward (“Fanny”) Alger Custer (September 30, 1816 – November 29, 1889) is generally considered as Joseph Smiths first plural wife. Although undocumented, the marriage of Fanny and Joseph most likely took place in Kirtland, Ohio sometime in 1833 (before sealing authority had been restored). She would have been sixteen years old at the time.

    Joseph kept his marriage to Fanny out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma. Chauncey Webb recounted Emma’s later discovery of the relationship: “Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house”. Ann Eliza again recalled: “…it was felt that [Emma] certainly must have had some very good reason for her action. By degrees it became whispered about that Joseph’s love for his adopted daughter was by no means a paternal affection, and his wife, discovering the fact, at once took measures to place the girl beyond his reach…Since Emma refused decidedly to allow her to remain in her house…my mother offered to take her until she could be sent to her relatives…” [footnote] Fanny Alger – Wives of Joseph Smith  [/footnote]

    In January 1838, some months after the Algers had left Kirtland, Oliver Cowdery wrote his brother concerning his indignation at Smith’s relationship with Alger. Cowdery said he had discussed with Smith the “dirty, nasty, filthy affair of his and Fanny Alger’s … in which I strictly declared that I had never deserted from the truth in the matter, and as I supposed was admitted by himself.” [footnote] Oliver Cowdery, Letter to Warren A. Cowdery (Oliver’s brother), January 21, 1838  [/footnote]

     

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.

    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.

    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn

    Fanny Alger – The Wives of Joseph Smith

  • Fair Shake

    Fair Shake

    Image: Image of Polygamist FLDS Prophet Warren Jeffs and his wives [footnote] Warren Jeffs – Wikipedia   [/footnote]

    From an April 17, 1860 New York Times article, ‘Polygamy and its Fruits'[footnote] The New York Times, April 17, 1860   [/footnote]and later published in Stanley P. Hirshson’s, The Lion of the Lord[footnote] The Lion of the Lord: A Biography of Brigham Young – Amazon   [/footnote]:

    ‘Some time ago HEBER KIMBALL was lecturing some missionaries who were preparing to start out on foreign missions, in the Tabernacle, and said to them: “Brethren, I want you to understand that it is not to be as it has been heretofore. The brother Missionaries have been in the habit of picking out the prettiest women for themselves before they get here, and bringing on the ugly ones for us; hereafter you have to bring them all here before taking any of them, and let us all have a fair shake.” The old reprobate then had at least a score of women whom he called wives.’

    Additional quotes by Heber C. Kimball regarding polygamy:

    “Here we are brother Joseph; we are here ourselves are we not, with none of the property we possessed in our probationary state…He will say to us, “Come along, my boys, we will give you a good suit of clothes. Where are your wives?” “They are back yonder; they would not follow us.” “Never mind,” says Joseph, “here are thousands, have all you want.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:209   [/footnote]

    “It is believed in the world that our females are all common women. Well, in one sense, they are common- that is, they are like all other women, I suppose; but they are not unclean, for we wipe all the unclean ones from our midst: we do not only wipe them from our streets, but we wipe them out of existence.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses vol 7 talk on sanctification.   [/footnote]

    “It is the duty of a woman to be obedient to her husband, and unless she is, I would not give a damn for all her queenly right and authority” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Journal of Discourses 4:8   [/footnote]

    “Plurality of wives is a law established by God forever. It would be easier for the United States to build a tower to remove the sun as to remove polygamy.” [footnote] Heber C. Kimball, Millennial Star, vol. 28, p. 190   [/footnote]

    Crash Course:

    Year of Polygamy Podcast – The series follows the Mormon faith through the lens of “The Principle of Plural Marriage”.
    Joseph Smith’s Polygamy – Discusses Joseph Smith’s introduction of polygamy into early Mormon Church.
    Plural Marriage and Mormon Fundamentalism – D. Michael Quinn